Nordford, a frontier city located in the northwesternmost reaches of the Esteta Kingdom, was not the grandest or most beautiful city on the continent. Yet, it was a place where people from all corners of the kingdom gathered, seeking new beginnings, transforming what was once a modest village into a burgeoning city.
In this newly pioneered city, the Merchant Guild was the first to erect a building adorned with their signature turquoise gate, a symbol of their influence. Not to be outdone, the Adventurer Guild soon followed, constructing their own headquarters with equal fervor.
As people flocked to Nordford, the city's boundaries expanded daily. The kingdom's youngest city buzzed with the lively sounds of its inhabitants—voices of merchants and settlers, the creak of wagons, the cries of animals pulling carts, the bleating of sheep outside the city, and the barking of dogs herding them. Nordford was a city where vibrant, ceaseless noise painted the air.
It was well past sunset, in the early hours of dawn, when Gravel and Iris, accompanying Diara's wagon transporting a statue, finally passed Nordford's boundary tower. They halted at a tavern on the city's outskirts, where both weary travelers and horses could rest.
The tavern, as if proving Nordford's status as a hub for wagons, had a large stable beside it, housing three or four wagons and their horses. When one of the soldiers inquired about the peculiar name of the tavern, "The Great Forepaw Bear" the woman—presumably the tavern's mistress—pointed to her husband's back as he walked toward the stable. She explained that her husband, once a soldier like them, had been given the nickname by his comrades in his youth, and they had chosen it as the name for their tavern.
Leaving a few soldiers to guard the statue in the wagon, the rest retired for the night, eagerly anticipating the tavern mistress's promise of a creamy soup brimming with cheese, a specialty of the Great Forepaw Bear, to be served in the morning.
At daybreak, as Gravel and Iris finished their breakfast on the tavern's first floor and prepared to rise, Diara entered through the tavern door, looking as though she had been out since early morning. She informed Gravel and Iris of a change in plans.
"A few more days here won't bother Iris or me." Gravel said.
"But isn't there a rush to deliver the statue?"
""There is no haste required." Diara replied.
"As long as we safely deliver the statue to the Archduke, avoiding the prying eyes of House Kavil and scavengers like Gulick, a slight delay in the schedule is no issue."
"Understood. We're fine staying longer. Though, it must be tough on the soldiers, coming straight from Froikton to Nordford and now this…"
"The soldiers are understanding." Diara reassured.
"Some of them are even from Nordford."
The reason for their extended stay in Nordford, as Diara explained, was a series of unfortunate events and a stroke of coincidence brought about by the arrival of her statue-transporting wagon. Three days before their arrival, a landslide triggered by heavy rain had destroyed Nordford's western wooden palisade. A boulder over eight cubits (4 meters) in size had rolled down, smashing the barrier wall. Fortunately, no one was injured, and many considered it a blessing that the damage was limited to the palisade.
Stonemasons, carpenters, and Nordford's soldiers were working to rebuild the palisade, cutting stone and timber to restore the wall. However, three days later, the work remained incomplete due to a shortage of labor.
Diara learned of this situation when she visited the Merchant Guild in the city center to order supplies for the wagon. There, a woman in a deep blue robe tapped Diara's shoulder in greeting. The robe, a distinctive blend of dark black and blue, was unmistakable to those familiar with the Hidden Moon Knights, the knightly order serving Archduke Varnavil Vanas. Diara immediately recognized the woman as a fellow knight of the Hidden Moon.
The Hidden Moon Knights were a common sight across the Esteta Kingdom and beyond. Guided by the teachings of the Hidden Moon Temple, they traveled and lingered wherever their skills were needed. Thus, it was not surprising for Diara to encounter another knight of the order. The knight introduced herself as Landa and explained the situation: the palisade's collapse had left Nordford in need of labor, but many of the city's adventurers had left to hunt swamp turtles in the north, and the barley harvest season had further strained the city's workforce.
Landa, who had lived in Nordford since it was a small village, had grown deeply attached to the city. Appointed by the Hidden Moon Temple as Nordford's resident knight, she was involved in the city's every affair. She had been contemplating requesting aid from nearby villages or distant cities when Diara's arrival seemed like fate answering her desperate need.
Upon hearing the situation, Diara agreed to delay their journey and have her accompanying soldiers assist with the palisade's reconstruction. Landa, grateful for the help, arranged to meet again that afternoon and left the building, her steps unsteady from exhaustion. Diara had returned to the Great Forepaw Bear Tavern to inform Gravel and the soldiers of this decision.
"Well, since the schedule's changed, what should we do?" Gravel said, stretching his arms above his head while seated.
Reflecting on the past few days—traveling south, meeting Diara again, and heading north to this city—Gravel leaned back in his chair and closed his eyes.
"Adventurer, you seem to have some free time." the tavern mistress said, sweeping the floor with a broom as she approached Gravel.
"Yeah, the schedule's shifted a bit. I was thinking of exploring the city outskirts until evening…"
At least until sunset, when I can visit a tavern in the city center and ask, 'Have you seen an island floating in the sky?'
"So, you don't have anything specific to do?" the mistress pressed.
"Uh, I was just thinking about what's around here…"
"You're free, then?"
"Well… yeah, I guess I'm pretty free."
Perhaps it was her overwhelmingly warm smile or some inexplicable pressure, but Gravel found himself persuaded.
"Oh, perfect! Just perfect!" the mistress exclaimed.
"I have a favor to ask. My husband needs to cut some thorny bushes soon. Could you help him? If you do, I'll roast a delicious goose for lunch."
"Goose? I've never had it before, but I'm looking forward to it. So, I just go with your husband?"
"Yes, yes. Grab an axe from the shed by the stable and follow him. Dear!"
Pointing to a small door leading to the stable, the mistress leaned out the tavern's main door and called loudly for her husband.
"Where'd he go? Did he leave already? He's not that quick… Dear!"
"Why're you yelling? I'm getting ready to cut the goldthorn bushes!" came the gruff, booming voice of the tavern master from outside the stable door.
"I'm saying one of our guests is going to help you with the thorny bushes!"
Finding it hard to shout through the door, the mistress walked to the stable door, poking her head out to continue the conversation.
"Someone's helping? That's a relief for me. But you're roasting goose today?"
"Yes, I'm heading to the goose farm to buy a few later."
"Oh, nice! I'm excited. Autumn geese are plump and tasty. Haha!"
The tavern master's laughter echoed, clearly imagining the goose roast awaiting him.
"Exactly. The goose farm owner was asking when we're harvesting our barley. Said he'd give us some duck eggs if he could let his geese and ducks forage in our fields after the harvest. Those geese have been fattened up on spilled barley, so I'm going to buy a few today."
"Haha! Looks like that lady mage paid well yesterday! Alright, I'll be quick. You, the one helping—let's go! We can be back before sunset."
"Coming!" Gravel replied.
As Gravel stepped outside, the tavern master, with two axes slung over his shoulder, handed one to him.
"Oh, by the way, our barley harvest is the day after tomorrow. That's our turn." the tavern master shouted toward his wife, who was no longer there, before turning to Gravel. They left the tavern and headed down a path toward the city's outskirts.
The two walked in silence, passing harvested barley fields and others still awaiting the sickle. As they reached the edge of a sparse forest, the tavern master stroked his bushy beard and spoke.
"By the way, we don't even know each other's names. I'm Derk." he said, extending a hand to Gravel.
"I'm Gravel."
"You don't look like you're from around here, with that hair and face. Come from far away?"
"Yeah, I've traveled from quite a distance."
"Hah! There's not much to see in a backwater like this. Haven't you come too far?" Derk chuckled, continuing the conversation.
"Do you know how to handle an axe, traveler? If you're not careful, the thorns can fly up and scratch your face.
"I haven't used one much, but I'll be careful."
"Good. As long as you don't swing it like a brute, you'll be fine. Oh! There they are!"
Derk pointed to a cluster of thorny bushes, slightly shorter than a person, adorned with bright yellow flowers.
"These are goldthorn bushes. We cut them this time of year to spread on the floor of grain storehouses."
"I see. But why spread them on the storehouse floor?"
Gravel asked, using his axe to cut a long branch from the bush. The branch, stretching from the ground to chest height, was lined with sharp thorns and countless small green leaves. The thorns were long and sharp but spaced enough that, with care, Gravel could pick up the cut branch by maneuvering between them.
"When you spread these thorny branches thickly on the storehouse floor, they keep rats out."
Derk explained, plucking thorns from his beard. "They let air circulate, and the leaves give off a scent that repels bugs. Nothing's better for a storehouse."
"Let's just cut the outer branches. We'll need them again next year."
"Got it. Gotta earn that goose roast!"
Gravel gripped the axe handle firmly and resumed cutting the thorny branches. For a while, the sound of their axes and the rustling of shaking branches filled the air. Then Derk spoke again.
"Come to think of it, have we eaten green goose this year?"
"Green goose?"
It was a term Gravel had never heard in Froikton. Is it some Nordford specialty? he wondered, but Derk, reading his expression, continued.
"From spring to summer, when grass is plentiful, we let the geese roam and graze. Those fattened on grass are called green geese. In autumn, after the harvest, we let them forage on spilled grain in the fields. Those are called yellow geese or autumn geese."
"That makes sense. Now I'm even more excited for your wife's goose roast."
"Haha, it's not some fancy dish. Just slathered with seasoning and slow-roasted over a wood fire. Still, it's the kind of meal you crave this time of year."
Swallowing hard, Derk resumed his axe work, the thought of the goose roast spurring him on. The rhythmic sound of their axes echoed through the quiet forest, carrying their anticipation of the meal to come.